http://newsok.com/fading-nascar-heads-to-espn/article/3387541

Once in the fast lane, the NASCAR Sprint Cup’s TV ratings are coasting
into the pits.

ESPN is hoping for a turnaround when it takes over coverage of the
series on Sunday with the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway.

"It’s fair to say that we certainly recognize that the baton is being
passed to us with ratings down,” said Julie Sobieski, an ESPN
programming vice president. "While we certainly see as you do that
there’s room for improvement in a lot of areas, we’re doing everything
we can from a TV standpoint.”

Ratings for Fox’s first-half coverage slipped 12 percent from last
year. Next up, TNT’s six-race package was down 6 percent from last
year and 21 percent from 2006.

To boost ratings, Sobieski said the TV networks and NASCAR have
discussed making race start times more consistent to make it easier
for viewers to find the races.

ESPN also is cranking up its multimedia marketing campaign to bring
race fans back to the sport as it begins its third year of coverage,
which includes 17 races on ESPN and ABC to close out the season.

"BatCam” will make its NASCAR debut. The camera on a cable, used by
ESPN for the last two Indianapolis 500 telecasts, will fly over the
speedway’s frontstretch and pit road at more than 80 mph to give
viewers a dramatic look at the action.

"This has all the ingredients to be the best (Brickyard 400) yet,”
race announcer Jerry Punch said. "When you couple the added grip of
the new tire with the double file restarts, I think we’re going to
have some ‘hold your breath’ moments.”

An expanded 90-minute pre-race show at 11:30 a.m. precedes the 1:19
p.m. green flag. Qualifying airs live at 9 a.m. Saturday on ESPN2.
Practice sessions also air at 1 p.m. today, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday on
ESPN2.

Besides Punch, ESPN’s broadcast team includes Dale Jarrett, the 1999
Sprint Cup driving champion, two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree
and two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer in the garage area. Pit
reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Shannon Spake and Vince
Welch.

"NASCAR Countdown” will feature 1989 champion driver Rusty Wallace and
three-time champion crew chief Ray Evernham, with host Allen Bestwick
and analyst Brad Daugherty.

On Jul 27, 6:55*pm, TMC <tmc1... (AT) gmail (DOT) com> wrote:
With Punch Drunk Jabber jarrent and the other guy ...ESPN will
not cause
ratings to go up. period. Then tossing Ray Evernham into the mix ?
Why..
More jabber and more jabbering. And nobody cares about pit
reporters
Alan..rusty or anyone else. And of course there is never more than
2 seconds
of silence SO WE CAN HEAR THE EFFFFING ENGINES...YOU KNOW
LIKE AT THE TRACK...GOOD NITE